[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 25 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 6179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Birds of Conservation Concern 2002

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We are announcing the availability of a document entitled 
Birds of Conservation Concern 2002. The purpose of this document is to 
identify species, subspecies, and populations of migratory and non-
migratory birds in need of additional conservation actions. The 
document is published under authority of the Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Act of 1980, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Fish 
and Wildlife Act of 1956, and 16 U.S.C. 701.

DATES: Individuals wishing to comment on the process used in developing 
Birds of Conservation Concern 2002, especially to provide 
recommendations for improving future versions of the document, may 
direct their written comments to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird 
Management (listed below under ADDRESSES). All comments received will 
be filed for use in developing the next version of the list. Comments 
will be accepted up until the time that work begins on the next edition 
of this report (approximately 5 years).

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of Birds of Conservation 2002 may be obtained 
by writing to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, 
Arlington, VA 22203-1610, ATTN: BCC 2002. This document is also 
available for downloading on the Division of Migratory Bird 
Management's World Wide Web page at http://migratorybirds/fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Millsap, Chief, Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, Arlington, VA 22203-1610; phone: (703) 
358-1714; fax: (703) 358-2272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1988 amendment to the Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Act (FWCA) of 1980 (Pub. L. 100-653, Title VIII) requires 
the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, to ``identify species, subspecies, and populations of all 
migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, 
are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered 
Species Act [ESA] of 1973.'' Birds of Conservation Concern 2002 
fulfills that mandate, and supersedes Migratory Nongame Birds of 
Management Concern in the United States: The 1995 List. The current 
document differs from the 1995 version in that it identifies birds of 
conservation concern at three different scales: Bird Conservation 
Regions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions, and National. This 
will maximize flexibility and increase the utility of the document for 
a variety of users and purposes. The species that appear in Birds of 
Conservation Concern 2002 are deemed to be the highest priority for 
conservation actions. We anticipate that the document will be consulted 
by Federal agencies and their partners prior to undertaking cooperative 
research, monitoring, and management actions that might directly or 
indirectly affect migratory birds. Our goal in publishing this document 
is to stimulate coordinated and collaborative proactive conservation 
actions among Federal, State, and private partners.
    To serve as a broad early warning system in the context of the 
FWCA, this document includes all of the species for which we have some 
basis, no matter how remote, to consider them to be of conservation 
concern. Our objective in publishing this list is to focus conservation 
attention on bird species of concern well in advance of a possible or 
plausible need to consider them for listing under the ESA. Inclusion on 
this list does not constitute a finding that listing under the ESA is 
warranted, or that substantial information exists to indicate that 
listing under the ESA may be warranted. Many of the species on this 
list will probably never have to be considered for ESA listing, even if 
no additional conservation actions are taken.

    Dated: January 30, 2003.
Steven A. Williams,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-2908 Filed 2-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P